All About Will Smith

Will Smith - Summertime

Will Smith - The Fresh Prince

Will Smith - Men In Black

Wild Wild West - Will Smith

Will Smith - Getting Jiggy With It

Will Smith – On Ellen

Will Smith - Shark Tale

Will Smith - Hitch

Will Smith was born on September 25, 1968 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Will Smith is an amazing talent and wears many hats. Smith is a rapper, an actor for both television and films, a producer, a writer, co-creator and family man just to name a few. I first became aware of Will Smith as the Fresh Prince when I heard the songs Girls Ain’t Nothing but Trouble and then shortly after Parent’s Just Don’t Understand. At the time that second song was pertinent to me because I truly felt that my parents didn’t understand (I figured it out later though). A few years later The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air came out and I was hooked. I can honestly say that I would have never thought that Will Smith would have blown up like he did, not to say that he was not talented but to say that I was surprised by his total talents. I felt the same way with Tom Hanks after watching him in Bossom Buddies I would have never thought he would go on to do so much. This might have to do with my perceptions of comedic actors and their ability to cross over to dramatic roles. I really like that I have been proven wrong over and over again, because many comedians have been able to make that crossover.

Will Smith has proven himself over and over again making a movie a year since 1992 however he has yet to win an Oscar for his roles. Smith was nominated for two Oscars for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for The Pursuit of Happyness and Best Actor in a Leading Role for Ali, but did not win; he has however won several MTV and Nickelodeon awards. This does not seem to faze this multi-talented family man, because he keeps coming with bigger and better, while continuing to focus on his family.

Some of the things that Will Smith has accomplished as a rapper and actor are:

ALBUMS:

As DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince:

Rock the House (1987) - Including the song Girls Ain't Nothing but Trouble

He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper (1988) - Including the songs Parents Just Don't Understand and Nightmare on My Street

And in This Corner… (1989) - Including the song I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson

Homebase (1991) - Including the songs Summertime and You Saw My Blinker

Code Red (1993) - Including the song Boom! Shake the Room

As Will Smith:

Big Willie Style (1997) - Including the songs Men in Black and Gettin' Jiggy wit It and Just the Two of Us and Miami

Willennium (1999) - Including the song Wild Wild West

Born to Reign (2002) – Including the song Born to Reign

Lost and Found (2005) - Including the song Switch

TELEVISION:

Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990 – 1996) Will Smith plays a street-smart teenager from Philadelphia who is sent to live with his wealthy uncle and his family in California’s Bel-Air.

All of Us (2003 – 2007) - Will Smith is Co-Creator and writer of this television show that is inspired by his own domestic life and extended family. A newly divorced dad who has a new girlfriend has to deal with the existence of his ex wife who is still in his life because of their son.

MOVIES :

Where the Day Takes You (1992) – Is a story about a group of teenage runaways on the streets of Los Angeles, Will Smith plays Manny a wheelchair ridden, street smart runaway.

Made in America (1993) – Is about a black woman who conceives a child with the help of a spermbank. The child a daughter finds the truth and with the help of her boyfriend who is played by Will Smith attempts to find her real biological father a white man.

Six Degrees of Separation (1993) – Will Smith’s character Paul pretends to be Sidney Poitier’s son to get into high society life; weaving more and more lies as he goes.

Bad Boys (1995) – Will Smith plays Mike Lowrey one of a team of two cops in Florida who are trying to protect a murder witness.

Independence Day (1996) – Will Smith plays Captain Steven Hiller who helps to fight the aliens that are coming to destroy planet Earth.

Men in Black (1997) – Will Smith plays Agent J chosen to help save the world and keep an eye on the aliens after they threaten to blow up the world.

Enemy of the State (1998) – Will Smith plays Robert Clayton Dean who becomes under surveillance by National Security Agents when a college buddy secretly slips him a videotape of a congressman’s assassination.

Wild Wild West (1999) – Based on the 1960s Television Series, Will Smith plays James West who is hired to save President Grant from an evil inventor.

The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000) – Will Smith plays Bagger Vance a mysterious caddy with incredible knowledge of the game who helps a former golf champion in a match against other legendary golfers.

Ali (2001) – Will Smith plays Muhammad Ali in this story of the greatest boxer.

Men in Black II (2002) – Will Smith returns as Agent J to save the world from intergalactic disaster.

Bad Boys II (2003) - Playing Detective Mike Lowrey again Will Smith teams up with Martin Lawrence to investigate how Ecstacy is getting into Florida.

I, Robot (2004) – Will Smith plays a paranoid cop named Del Spooner who is suspicious of robots that are commonly used for menial labor. Although there is no proof of wrongdoing Spooner has his suspicions.

Shark Tale (2004) – Will Smith plays the voice of Oscar in this animated movie about a fish who becomes a hero when he claims to be a shark killer.

Hitch (2005) – Will Smith plays Alex “Hitch” Hitchens a date doctor who is unable to use the same game he tells his clients to woo the woman he is interested in.

The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) – Based on the true-life story of Chris Gardner who was a Chicago businessman who tried to better himself while struggling to take care of his family after his abandons both of them.

I Am Legend (2007) – Will Smith plays Robert Neville the sole survivor looking for a cure after a plague kills most of humanity and leaves the others as mutants.

Hancock (2008) – Will Smith plays Hancock a superhero of a different breed he is conflicted, somewhat sarcastic, an alcoholic and constantly in trouble causing damage everywhere he goes.

There are so many things that Will Smith has done in so many different categories. He is an amazing talent that keeps raising the bar each and every time he performs. This year, 2008, was a very good year for Will Smith with the release of two movies; Hancock and Seven Pounds as well as being chosen as one of The 10 Most Fascinating People 2008 by Barbara Walters. What Will Smith does next has yet to be seen but here is to hoping that 2009 is his year and that there are many more movies to come.